How I secure long-term clients for my web design business.
1. I close business deals in person
I work primarily online, but not when it comes to the process of closing clients (at least for now).
I find it much easier to find prospects around where I am or from my network, meet them in person, secure the deal, and then deliver my services remotely after that.
There are much less competition, and it is a lot easier to build trust.
2. I aim to describe my client expectations in 1–2 sentences
The formula I use to describe client expectations is simple:
What will I deliver?
How often will I deliver it?
To answer these two questions, I have to first listen to my prospect, ask questions to understand their needs, and then summarize them into one catch-all expectation.
Client expectation examples:
One new webpage layout delivered every 2–3 days
Minor text/image changes performed every 1–2 days
3. I simplify my pricing
In the client expectation formula that I use above, I frame my offer in terms of how often my service will be delivered instead of when. The reason for this is to implant in my clients' minds that they can easily engage my service continuously.
Pricing offer examples:
$x,xxx per month
x% from revenue per quarter
Which brings us to the next point...
4. I charge by the month, never by the hour
Charging by the hour might seem straightforward, but it is actually very problematic:
Clients will frequently experience uncertainty on how many hours something will cost—this is a friction to a recurring revenue stream
I often solve problems in my head when I am away from my computer—how would I bill that by the hour?
Hourly rates incentivize slower, less efficient work
I would also have to constantly negotiate against myself on how many hours something would take
and many other reasons
When I charge by the month:
I am making it easy for clients to engage my services continuously
I am incentivized to work more efficiently wherever I am—not only when I am in front of the computer
Clients are more relaxed when they shift away from associating their money with an hourly output
5. I talk business with clients
One reason why a lot of designers/developers are finding it hard to get work is because they keep talking about design tools or coding languages they know, instead of talking about business.
Compare this:
"I am skilled in Laravel 5678, AngularJS, and converting a TIFF image to PSD"
versus:
"If I were to add this feature to your website, users will be able to directly compare all the services you have side-by-side to improve conversion"
Which do you come across more often in resumes and design portfolios?
6. I negotiate like an absolute hotshot
I try my best to show the value of the service I am selling, but I am always ready to walk away from any deal.
When discussing a deal, if a prospect wants something that I know will be too disruptive to my operations, I will tell them no, sorry, can't do that.
The purpose of a negotiation is not just to close a deal, but to ensure efficient operations once the deal is in place so that it becomes a long-lasting relationship.
There is little point in closing a client deal that only lasts a month because you were too desperate to see that it was an operational mismatch.